Port in a Storm
by Ten Story
Summary: I am a duke in the court of sin. A bishop in the realm of nighttime ideals. Morality is my party joke and honesty is my wool that I pull over the gullible flock’s eyes. That is the way of the sky pirate. BalthierXVaan, rated for extreme sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

"You, boy. Come with us."

"Who me?" Vaan asked innocently. The guards only answered him with a chilling stare. Vaan smiled and bowed smugly, knowing that his plan had worked.

They were getting in to see the Marquis.

All day long he had marched around Bhujerba, planting rumors not-so inconspicuously that Captain Basch Von Rosenberg was indeed alive, contrary to popular belief. And not only that, despite the doubtful eye of the public, he himself was the Captain, calling the Marquis Ondore a liar and a lap dog of the Empire. Those that saw him spread these rumors in person laughed, knowing Vaan was a might too young to be the infamous Dalmascan traitor, but still it had gotten the reaction he desired. People in the streets were speaking of Basch. They were doubting the Marquis's word. And surely, as that happened, the Marquis's servants noticed and would have Vaan and his friends brought into the safety of the estate, so a game plan could be formulated.

The haughtiness he displayed in his grin would surely have made Balthier himself proud.

It was then that Balthier, Basch, and Fran noticed Vaan's "plight" and made their presence known. As soon as Vaan saw Balthier coming he played up his victory, turning his bow into an even more theatrical move to catch his attention.

"My friends have been helping me bring down your master's reputation, good sirs." he said, gesturing to his companions. "Perhaps he will want to see them too?"

One of the guards grunted and nodded to a few of his subordinates. "They'll come with us as well. The Marquis will see you soon."

As soon as the guards had turned, Vaan jumped in the air victoriously, congratulating himself. With hopeful eyes he turned to Balthier, waiting for a note of praise. The sky pirate passed by and said nothing.

"Excellent work, Vaan." Fran offered. Vaan's crestfallen face lit up a little at her comment, and even more so as it triggered Balthier to turn around and smile deviously.

"Indeed…good job, Vaan."

Then he walked on ahead. Vaan smiled triumphantly and ran after them, using the excuse to emphasize his victory by asking Balthier a hundred questions.

"I did really good, huh?"

"Yes, Vaan."

"Did you see the way I was in the tavern? They ALL were staring at me and…"

"Yes, Vaan."

"I really got people to talk about Basch again!"

Instead of acting annoyed, which Balthier actually was, he interrupted Vaan with a hearty laugh. "Enough, Vaan. Don't blow your horn too much. You might find yourself out of air before too long."

"…What does that mean?" Vaan asked.

"Humility is a virtue." Fran explained

"You guys always say stuff I don't understand…why won't you explain it to me?"

Balthier laughed again, wiping the sweat from off his forehead. The sun was bearing down upon them, a bright blinding dot in the middle of the cloudless blue of the sky. No matter how many times he looked at it, he always smiled.

"You'll understand one day young thief." He said as he ruffled Vaan's hair. "For now enjoy your ignorance."

Vaan joined Balthier in laughter, though he still didn't really understand what he was saying. It made him a little sad…as he felt distant from the one person he actually admired.

The instant Vaan had found out that Balthier was a sky pirate his opinions had completely changed about him. There was nothing he had ever wanted more in his life than to be a sky pirate, and the fact that he actually knew someone that might be able to help him achieve his goal was thrown in to sharp relief. It had never really mattered much to him what people thought of him. He never really cared about anything except his friends. But suddenly, it mattered. Something outside of the world that he had lived in for so long mattered…and it mattered more than anything else did.

He wanted to impress Balthier.

And yet he was always laughing at him, making fun of his naivety, and Vaan always felt like he was chasing after him, never able to catch up.

The first time he had tried to prove his worth, which he wasn't really used to doing in the first place, being a leading figure to so many orphans in Rabanastre, he had failed miserably. It was when Balthier and Fran had first shown him _The Strahl _as they were about to make their way to the Lhusu mines to rescue Penelo. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his entire life.

"You guys really _are_ sky pirates!!" he shouted, unable to maintain any sort of dignified demeanor.

"Well we certainly aren't your local Chocobo breeders." Balthier said sarcastically. But his acrimony was short lived, as he watched Vaan's face light up at the sight of the airship. He watched him run to it and run his hand over the surface, feeling the metal coated in a thin layer of old dirt that muted its colors. All the scratches and paint chips of the years were right there before Vaan's eyes, and yet Balthier knew he didn't see them. Vaan saw what he also saw - freedom.

"In the skies there aren't laws and codes of conduct that you must abide by." the sky pirate mused. "There are no rules at all, if you don't want there to be."

"Rules are a necessary evil." Fran said.

"Indeed, Fran." Balthier answered. "I am too old to not know that fact, and too young to be able to accept it."

Despite herself, Fran smiled. "You will always be too young, then. By your definition."

"Perhaps so. Which is why I will always live in the sky, I think…the world does not suffer fools, nor can it win against them, am I right?"

"Which is why somehow you are still alive."

"Hm, well don't let my foolishness take all the credit." he laughed, checking his bag to see if he had everything he needed. "You've helped as well."

"Only the Gods know why."

Balthier decided it was then time to awake Vaan from his joyous, dream-like euphoria. "Look alive there, my young thief. It's not polite to grope a stranger, or did no one ever teach you that?"

Vaan instantly took his hand off the ship. "Oh, sorry. So, what's the speed like? Does it have weapons? Can it take on _The Ifrit_?"

"Well I could tell you, but that would be wasting words. Why don't you just see for yourself instead?"

"Alright!"

Fran closed the back door behind the three of them and wasted no time in heading to the cockpit. Basch quickly joined her. Balthier tried to follow, but found himself deeply amused by Vaan's enthusiasm and continued to watch him run all around, greedily taking up his surroundings, reading all the messages on the monitors blinking on and off, and asking incessant questions about what every button, lever, and knob did in the place. His passion was just too genuine to ignore.

"This one is the generator pump, isn't it? It charges the igniter and gets the ship started if she needs a jump." Vaan said.

"Actually, that's the cloaking control panel. The boat can't fly when she's cloaked so we have one in the cockpit and back here to make sure we have access if we're boarded."

"Oh…" Vaan said, slightly embarrassed.

The sky pirate laughed and patted him on the back. "Don't be so glum, my man. You were almost right. The interface is practically the same, so it's natural you would get them mixed up. Come now, let's go find your girl."

"I've told you, Balthier. It's not really like that…Penelo's my…my…um…"

"You mean you haven't told her yet? What sort of thief are you my man if you can't steal a girl's affections?"

Then he had left.

Vaan felt his face redden with each passing second.

"…Well…that couldn't of gone any worse."

His eyes flitted up to a weapon case, filled with knives, swords, and guns of all shapes and sizes. It was then he realized that, being a criminal, Balthier might have done horrible things. He might have even killed people. He had no idea what he was truly like. And somehow he couldn't make himself care.

Vaan had never been one for thinking how he felt much. He just took the days on as they came, never planning ahead, enjoying himself when he could. Thinking when he was alone at night just made him sad anyway, so he never liked being by himself, and he never spoke of things that weren't important in the here and now.

His dream all these years had seemed far away and lofty to him, but now that it seemed so much closer, he had to ask himself what he truly wanted. He _had _to think about it. And he believed Balthier could help him find the right answer.

They had traveled across Ivalice to Bhujerba, cruising through the night on autopilot as the moogles cooked in the mess hall for Fran, Balthier, Basch, and Vaan. After they finished, Balthier wandered up to the observation deck, taking in the fresh air and gazing at the stars - tiny pinpricks of light on a dark blue backdrop. The misty gray clouds flew just barely underneath them like seawater. Vaan joined him soon after and leaned on the railing nearby.

"Can I fly the ship tomorrow?" he asked playfully.

"I would sooner trust my life to Ba'Gamnan."

"Ha ha, very funny."

The sky pirate closed his eyes and then opened one, letting it shift slyly towards Vaan.

"So pray tell, young thief, what matter of circumstance graces me with your presence this evening? Hmm? Surely you didn't come all the way up here just to ask me a question you already knew the answer to."

"Well, I…uh…"

"Interested in a sky piracy apprenticeship? It's not exactly something that requires formal training. Or perhaps you want my advice on how to woo this girl of yours, eh?"

Vaan swallowed and continued to stutter through his words, trying to say something but not succeeding.

"Ever articulate, aren't we. Well, if it's the latter you want to know, then what I suggest to you is this."

He walked over to the boy and looked into his eyes. Vaan, surprised by this, looked back in a puzzled way, yet he saw nothing in Balthier's stare but genuine honesty.

"Tell her the truth."

Vaan laughed. "I've seen the way you talk to girls in bars. You certainly don't tell _them_ the truth. You say stuff like," here he tried to mimic Balthier's smooth, conceited tone of voice. "'Your eyes are like the heavens themselves…and more beautiful heavens I could not hope to see even as I look upon them night after night.' Blah blah blah…"

"Love can take on many guises, Vaan. Normally I would tell young men such as yourself to practice the form of love that I do, which is meant for brief enjoyment. However, this girl seems a keeper and you seem to be a dedicated sort of man. So the way you should pursue your love is through sincerity."

"You don't believe that one person can love just one other person their whole life and be happy, then?" Vaan replied, looking very intently at Balthier.

"No, Vaan. That's not it in the slightest. I simply come from a different world than you do. I am a duke in the court of sin. A bishop in the realm of nighttime ideals. Morality is my party joke and honesty is my wool that I pull over the gullible flock's eyes. That is the way of the sky pirate. Surely as a thief you know at least some of this is true."

"I may be a thief…but I believe in being true to your word." Vaan defended himself. "And I know you do, too. Why else would you offer to help me rescue Penelo?"

Balthier smiled at him and began to leave.

"Touché . …You know, you remind me of myself, Vaan. You'll make a most excellent hero for your own story someday." he said behind him as he shut the door with a touch of a button. So Vaan was left by himself to think again, which never did him any good at all.

Balthier threw his shirt on the bed and threw himself down beside it not long after. The big windows let the moonlight drench the room, falling across his skin like a cold blanket. He heard the wind he had just felt upon his skin rattle against the panes as the ship cut through it like a knife. But all these sights and sounds brought him no comfort as Vaan's bright eyes burned into his memory.

"Bother and damn it all." he cursed, hitting the light switch next to the bed.

The next morning Balthier entered the cockpit, holding his head in pain.

"Good morning, my girl." he said rather half-heartedly to Fran, who did not acknowledge the comment.

"How much time do we have?"

"About twenty minutes until we reach Bhujerba."

"Very good." he yawned. "I'll just be napping here if you need me then."

He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, but did not go to sleep. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Fran asked him:

"Another sleepless night?"

"Ever the perceptive one." Balthier sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fran…I can't stop thinking about him."

The confession did not seem to phase her. "You are a man who cannot cope with not having the things he wants." she replied.

"You're saying I want him more knowing that I can't have him?"

"Is that not obvious to you?"

"I suppose not." he laughed. Vaan and Basch then came into the cockpit, and Balthier was silent.

"Is that it?" Vaan asked excitedly, pointing to the now visible floating island.

"Indeed. The sky city of Bhujerba. It has been many years." Basch answered.

"Let's hurry up and land, so we can help Penelo!"

"Patience." Fran warned. They flew into port and docked the ship. Vaan hurried the rest of them off, practically pulling Balthier along.

"Can't a man get a spot of breakfast first before rescuing damsels in distress?" Balthier yawned. Fran raised her eyebrow at him.

"Especially after having absolutely no sleep whatsoever…"

"That's your own fault!" Vaan barked. "Penelo is waiting for us! We can't just sit around!"

"The mist is thick here." Fran commented, sniffing the air. "We should move on as quickly as possible."

"Right you are, then, Fran. Let's save your girl, Vaan, and get out of here while we can. And remember…" he said, pointing at Basch. "You're a dead man. For the Gods' sakes and ours, lay low. No names. Got it?"

"Of course." Basch said graciously.

"Right, Basch. Let's go." said Vaan energetically. Balthier grabbed his arm and yanked the boy backwards.

"Did you not hear what I just said, Vaan?!" he barked.

"Oh…" Vaan replied nervously. "Sorry."

"Don't let it happen again."

Balthier stormed ahead, clearly irritated. Vaan sighed and buried his hands in his pockets. "Great, another mess-up…"

"So how will we know where Penelo is? Aren't the mines pretty big?" Vaan asked as they stood in front of the Lhusu mines entrance.

"Not to worry. Our adversaries will let us know where they want us to be. " Balthier explained.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we meet with a trap or two down there." Basch added.

"Excuse me…" a young voice said behind them. They turned to see a violet-haired, handsome young boy smiling at them from his small stature. "I couldn't help but overhear…you are entering the mines, correct? Might I accompany you? I have business inside as well."

Balthier raised his eyebrow and was about to turn a cynical phrase when he was interrupted by Vaan, who saw yet another opportunity to impress Balthier by taking this seemingly helpless child under his wing.

"Sure, you can come. What's your name?"

"La-Lar…Lamont. At your service."

Vaan grinned, quite full of himself. "I'm Vaan, and this is Balthier, Fran, and…um…yeah." He stuttered, pointing at Basch but not knowing what to say. Finally his hand moved away and his egotistical smirk turned into a nervous smile. "Yeah. There's Balthier and Fran."

Basch rolled his eyes but bowed his head respectfully to 'Lamont.' Lamont smiled and shook Basch's hand, then shook everyone else's.

"Pleased to meet you all. Shall we go?"

"What business does a child have in the mines?" Basch whispered to Balthier as Lamont continued on ahead with Vaan. Vaan had a spring in his step as he bragged to Lamont about all the dangers they had faced so far and how he had taken every single one of them in stride. Lamont smiled and listened politely, very amused by Vaan's immaturity.

"His accent is Arcadian. Upper class dialect." Fran interjected.

"It might be best if we let events play out for a bit before we jump to conclusions." Balthier said. They all agreed and went inside.


	2. Chapter 2

The only sounds were the wind howling through the tunnels and Vaan's eager voice chatting away about anything and everything as Lamont listened. Balthier knew he should have been thinking about what sort of traps could be waiting ahead, judging on what he knew about Ba'Gamnan's techniques. Instead all he could focus on was Vaan's voice and how happy he seemed, talking to the strange young man next to him. Despite himself Balthier adorned his own mouth with the same amused grin Lamont was wearing. Fran noticed this but said nothing, instead increasing her alertness, for she knew that there were only two out of the five of them now looking for signs of danger.

At a fork in the tunnel, Vaan and Lamont stopped and waited. When the rest had caught up, Vaan turned to them.

"Which way do we go?" he asked.

Fran sniffed the air. "Each way the air is thicker."

"I take that to mean that either way leads deeper into the mines?" Basch said.

"We'll have to split up." Balthier quickly suggested. "Vaan, you're with me. The rest take the left tunnel. Shout out if you run into trouble."

They all did what was asked of them without question, though Vaan pouted slightly at being separated from Lamont, or perhaps more the conversation 'they' were having. Fran shot Balthier a suspicious glance, but said nothing, taking the lead of the small party and traveling into the darkness of the left tunnel.

Balthier took a deep breath and pretended that nothing was bothering him. In truth, he couldn't quite figure out why he had asked for only Vaan, but perhaps he knew after all and was not willing to admit it to himself. Whatever the case, they were alone now, and he was feeling uncharacteristically insecure.

"Keep your wits about you, Vaan. There could be traps anywhere."

"We haven't met up with any yet." Vaan said in an annoyed tone. "Maybe they aren't here…"

"Look out Vaan!"

Balthier blurted a warning as he saw the small trip wire strung close to the floor. His eyes darted to the place the wire led, which was a pulley device leading to a net suspended above their heads. He grabbed Vaan around the waist and twirled him around away from the wire, but it was too late. Vaan's boot had touched the wire ever so slightly and the net came crashing down, but luckily the two were far enough away that they successfully avoided it.

Panting, they stood together, staring at the net upon the floor. Vaan's hands were clinging to Balthier's vest in surprise, and Balthier's arm was still around Vaan's waist.

"That was too close for…comfort…" Balthier exclaimed, slowing his words down as he turned his face towards Vaan and found himself an inch away from his nose. At this Vaan's eyes snapped open, frozen in horror, or perhaps something else.

Both of them felt it. That question that charged the air between their faces…that question that no one knows the answer to when they are meet with it.

_Should I kiss him?_

Desperately Balthier tried to read Vaan's strange expression. He looked for any clue, or anything at all that would help him make the decision. Finally Vaan made the choice for them both. He let go of Balthier's vest and practically jumped out of the embrace, turning his back to Balthier. Balthier cleared his throat.

"Th-thanks." Vaan said.

"Not a problem." Balthier replied. "Let's get a move on, shall we?"

Not long after they met up with Fran, Lamont, and Basch, surprised to learn that the forks they had each taken led all to the same room. Here was the natural magicite Lamont had been searching for, but he had little time to inspect it more thoroughly. Ba'Gamnan had found them, and chased them out of the mine, losing them in the pursuit.

It was then that Lamont had parted ways from them, revealing himself to be Larsa Ferrinas Solidor, Prince of the Empire. After a lengthy discussion what their next step should be, they agreed that the best thing to do was seek out the Marquis Ondore's help, as he was the main support for the resistance. Vaan had come up with the idea of announcing that Basch Von Ronsenburg still lived in order to get the Marquis's attention. And the plan had succeeded exceptionally well, allowing them an audience with the Marquis himself. Unfortunately, the Marquis had a very strange way of helping their plight. Empire soldiers were called in and the party was captured and taken to the warship _Leviathan._ Here they once again met the Lady Ashe.

The group of four were now a group of six, including Ashe's bodyguard, Vossler. As they searched for an exit to the ship, as well as Penelo, they tried to avoid guards at all costs, but at one point they were spotted and were pursued until they came to a dead end.

Balthier panted and drew his gun. "My, that was a joyful little romp, wasn't it?"

Ashe sneered. "Are you always this charming or are we just lucky?"

"Better get used to it." Vaan grinned. Balthier looked back at him and smiled too.

"What's the plan now?" Vossler asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Basch replied, pulling out his broadsword.

"If we must." Ashe groaned. Basch nodded to Vossler and they each took a position behind the wall on either side of the door. The soldiers were each stabbed as they came through, and once all was clear the party moved ahead.

Not long after, Vaan spotted Penelo running with Larsa down the hall. His eyes went wide - he could barely find words to speak.

"Pe…Penelo!" He called out weakly. When she saw him she too lit up and ran to him, throwing her arms around him.

"Vaan! I'm so glad to see you! I knew you'd come find me!"

They held each other for a long while, nearly at the point of tears.

Balthier found himself suddenly in a very foul mood. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the two of them. She was embracing him…so passionately…and Vaan looked ecstatic.

Fran eyed Balthier carefully and smiled, despite herself.

"You must escape as quickly as you can." Larsa explained to Ashe. She squinted her eyes at him suspiciously.

"You would let us leave knowing who we are?"

"Lady Ashe. By all rights you ought not even to exist. That you and Captain Ronsenburg were made to appear dead…is like a hidden thread laid bare. Your actions hereafter will pull at that thread…and we will see what it unravels. This is our chance. We must see this through, and get to the bottom of it. I believe 'tis for the good of Dalmasca, and the good of the Empire."

Ashe nodded gravely. "Very well then."

"I must stay behind," Larsa continued, placing a small stone in Penelo's hand. "Penelo, my gift to you. May it bring you good luck."

Penelo smiled. "Thank you."

Vaan grabbed Penelo's hand as they ran towards the exit. "Why'd he give you a present?" he said guardedly.

Penelo giggled. "Vaan, are you jealous?"

"N-No…"he stuttered. Balthier listened in, an angry expression on his face.

"What is it?" Fran asked quietly. He turned on her quickly.

"I am in no mood for it, Fran. Just leave it be."

Fran crinkled her nose at him but said nothing.

"I found us an Atomos! Let's go!" Vossler interrupted as he ran in front of the group from a side passage.

"An Atomos?" Balthier mumbled under his breath irritably. "All skiff, no ship. Hardly fit for a leading man…"

Once they were in port at Bhujerba, The Lady Ashe stopped and turned to the group.

"I must see the Marquis. He will know what to do."

"Well, if he's the same sort of help that he was last time, I think I'll put up at a hotel this evening." Balthier hissed.

Ashe shot him a dirty look. "I'll thank you not to talk so indignantly about my Uncle, Sky Pirate."

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, _Princess,_" Balthier replied, unable to resist the temptation of the challenge Ashe offered with her offensive tongue. Fran rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, looking the other way. Vaan exhaled dramatically blowing his bangs out of his face. "but I believe we've been formerly introduced. Royalty would certainly know that it's impolite to not address someone by their name once they have learned it."

"How _dare _you…"

"Please, let us head on to the Marquis, and quarrel at a later date." Basch pleaded.

"Basch is right. Let's rest up for now." Vaan added. They walked towards the Marquis's mansion in relative silence.


	3. Chapter 3

"Suppose for a moment you were to defeat Vayne… What then? You cannot simply rebuild your kingdom with the only proof of your birthright stolen. Without that, the Gran Kiltias on Bur-Omisace cannot recognize you as the rightful heir."

"But Uncle - "

"You may yet be a Princess, but without proof of your identity, you are powerless. You will remain with me. We do nothing till the time is right. "

"I cannot just sit around and wait!"

Balthier yawned lazily as the Marquis and Ashe argued. Vaan was standing in a corner, holding Penelo's hand, but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at Balthier.

Balthier pretended not to notice, but those bright blue eyes were burning a hole through his skin. It took all the will power he could muster not to turn around and to stare right back. An idea occurred to him then - a way to ask Vaan the unspoken question he longed to express without doing so in words. A devil's smile appeared on his lips, and he turned to face Vaan.

Surprised by the sudden acknowledgement of his own stare, Vaan turned away and flushed. But Balthier refused to back down; he maintained his smile, waiting patiently for Vaan's eyes to meet his again.

It was only a matter of time. And when Vaan did look up at him, his gaze was filled with a submissive questioning, a yearning for the invisible wall between them to be torn down. Balthier recognized it and knew that a little game might be in order. A game he had played thousands of times with potential bits of evening entertainment he had courted at a thousand different bars, markets, and hideaways. The thrill of the hunt - it was always the thing he enjoyed the most.

He walked suddenly over to the conference table and sat on it, interrupting Ashe and her Uncle. "Incidentally, what is the going rate for rescuing Princesses these days? Food would be a start - the good stuff, mind you."

Ondore's nose crinkled and he looked murderously at the sky pirate, who grinned triumphantly in response. Ashe held her hands up to the sky, as if praying to the Gods for strength.

"The Empire is destroying everything we hold dear and all you can think about is what reward you'll get? Of all the insufferable…"

"My Lady…please. Control yourself." Ondore snapped. He turned again to Balthier, who was once again challenging Vaan with his stare - daring him to find the hidden words in his eyes. Fran sighed as she watched Vaan…it was clear the boy wasn't as ignorant as he seemed, for he saw what Balthier was doing, and his response was one of confusion and nervousness. More and more his handsome face flushed and his palms became sweatier, but Penelo seemed to take no notice. She was blissfully unaware of Vaan's uncomfortable shifting from one foot to the other, and his frequent re-moistening of his lips.

"Your reward can be arranged, sir, but it will take some time."

"Time enough for a bath, I hope. Dirty business, you know. Ah, best bring a change of clothes too."

As the group began to leave the room, Vaan waited until Balthier was close by. When they two were the only ones left, he reached out and opened his mouth, as if to say something, but Balthier interrupted him by brushing a hand through the boy's hair and whispering, "I wonder how big the beds are in this place…"

He laughed at Vaan as he recoiled, stuttering. The pirate practically skipped down the hall to a room one of the servants directed him to, but before he opened the door, Fran blocked him.

"Why are you playing with him?"

Balthier shrugged. "Just having a bit of fun is all."

"It will make things more difficult if you hurt his feelings."

"Fran, honestly. Do you really think he will stick around now that he has his girl back?"

He turned away from her and leaned on the door frame. For an instant he allowed himself to look sad.

"It's not like they ever do once they get what they want."

"Come now. He is a boy, not yet old enough to have his heart corrupted by the world. If you commit to him, he will not leave you easily." Fran explained.

"Are you so sure of that?" he answered bitterly. "Besides, who ever said I was _really_ interested?"

"I know you. You are not that sadistic with men. Only with women."

The sky pirate laughed. "You know me all too well, then."

Fran stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "You are happy when you are near him. That is all you need to know."

Then she closed her door behind herself, and Balthier went off into the bathroom, planning a very long bath so he could think.

Turning on the water, he slowly unbuttoned his vest, yanked off his shirt, and threw off his boots. The bathroom itself was very beautiful - the tile was all different shades of blue and there were hanging plants from the ceiling. A blue tinted shower curtain hung over the claw-footed, enormous tub, and a large window revealing the sky and clouds around the city sat above it. After he had undressed completely, he happily submerged himself completely in the steaming water, not coming up for air for over a minute.

When he arose, he knew immediately he wasn't alone.

He could see Vaan because of the mirror hanging over the sink. He was standing in the shadows of the adjacent, pitch black room, looking through the crack of the door. Balthier heard his heavy breathing. He saw his intense eyes as the light of the bathroom lamps reflected in them.

At first he didn't let on that he knew of his presence. He picked up the washcloth and soap and began to scrub his neck and his arms with a large grin on his face, enjoying this game. Then after a few moments, he called out.

"Would you like to come in and join me? It's a very pleasant bath. And there's more room than just one person needs."

His face dark with passion, Vaan entered the light and waited expectantly. Dripping water on the floor, Balthier stepped out of the tub and walked over to him, forcing him to back up against the wall.

Searching his eyes, the pirate nodded as understood suddenly what the boy was doing. "This isn't your first time, is it, my young thief?"

Vaan kissed him. It was a warm, passionate kiss full of wanting, but not clumsy in the slightest. Slicking his tongue in between Balthier's lips, he swallowed the saliva within and drank up the humming deep in the man's throat, pushing his fingers through his crimped hair and yielding to his increasing insistence.

Grabbing him around the waist, Balthier pushed against him, forcing his thigh between his legs. Feeling the pressure against his groin, Vaan threw his head back and moaned, raking his fingernails down Balthier's chest and panting.

They stumbled into the bedroom, Balthier still dripping over the carpet. Vaan's desperate fingers pulled at his clothes, fumbling with the belts, becoming tangled in the chaos. When they reached the bed Balthier wasted no time - practically ripping Vaan's pants off, he took the throbbing erection in front of him in his wet hand and stroked it carefully, causing the boy's hips to buck and for his lips to call out Balthier's name.

Ah, this moment. When someone was so vulnerable underneath him, so exposed in their physical weakness and desperation for release that they begged him for mercy - it was what made life worth living. Looking at Vaan's eyes as they rolled back in his head, feeling the beads of precum leaking from the tip and over his slick fingers, feeling the sheets become a puddle of sweat and water around them…

"I want you…please…"

Balthier raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yes….Nnngh! God…put it in…_please_…."

Reaching around to that tight entrance, the moment he touched it Vaan automatically parted his legs as wide as he could, preparing himself as he squirmed underneath Balthier. Crossing his arms over his eyes, he waited expectantly as two fingers entered him, then three. They came in and out with ease, finally moving deep enough to hit that heavenly euphoria as his hands shook he gasped for air all the harder.

Balthier rammed his tongue into the boy's throat as he thrusted himself forwards. Faster and faster he went, taking his fingers and teasing the little bits of flesh on his chest until he practically screamed within the kiss.

That hammering against the one spot inside him was too much, and at last Vaan came, his essence coating Balthier's stomach and splattering his face.

"Vaannnnn…." Balthier whispered as he too felt the rush hit him - he clamped his hands down on Vaan's shoulders and clenched his teeth until the spots in front of his eyes faded and he collapsed next to him.

"…Wow…." Vaan said in a daze, curling up next to his partner. Balthier threw his arm around him and rolled over onto his back, cherishing the feeling of cold air entering his lungs.

"Wow is right. I must say Vaan…that was definitely in my top five."

Vaan smiled and littered Balthier's face with kisses, resting finally on top of his chest.

"But aren't you really with Fran?"

"I make it a point never to become involved with business partners. Although Fran certainly doesn't leave a man in wanting."

Vaan's mouth twisted sadly. Balthier laughed.

"Besides, I'm the sort of rogue who doesn't involve himself with love and other such things. It makes the heart too honest. And that doesn't do when you're a sky pirate."

"So…you just…"

"I'm a one-night-stand sort, yes. That's the way I live. And tomorrow you'll have your girl, and we'll both not say another word about it. At least we'll know we had an enjoyable evening, yes?"

There was a pause while Vaan rolled away from Balthier and laid still. Balthier sighed and gently pulled him back, lifting his chin up in his hand.

"Although…with a pretty face like yours….I could make exceptions to my own policies."

Those bright blue eyes again. How they disarmed him. Wanted to make him tell every scrap of truth that was hiding in the folds of his heart. And that kiss…how sweet it was, how accepting. There would never be a moment of betrayal, or dishonesty, or unkindness. Not with Vaan.

He had always made it a practice never to share himself with any lover - after all, the worst could come to pass and he might actually fall in love with them. But Fran was right…Vaan was still young. He had not yet drawn that line between love and lust - a sexual partner and a life partner. He did not deserve to be lied to.

"You want the truth? Alright, my young thief. That night when you came to talk with me on the balcony of the ship…I didn't sleep at all because I thought of you. I fell for you. But you and I both know it's not meant to be. "

"I'd leave Penelo for you…I would!" Vaan begged.

"You know that's not true."

He heard Vaan begin to cry in the dark. Gently he rubbed his back and held him closer, silently praying that this moment would last forever..

"Just remember Vaan that I'll always love you. You'll always be my port in a storm."

"I love you too…"

The pirate then kissed the thief one last time until they both fell asleep, knowing in the morning that they would once again be friends, nothing more. But at least they would know when they looked at one another that there would never again be walls between them - they would always understand one another, even when there were no more words left to say.


End file.
